Earlier this year, Whitcomb became an Australian citizen and trained with the Opals but with only one naturalised player allowed to play in the World Cup side, Opals coach Sandy Brondello chose point guard Leilani Mitchell ahead of Whitcomb.

However, Mitchell was slowed by a foot problem towards the end of the WNBA season and has opted to withdraw from the Opals to recover from the injury in time to play in the WNBL with Canberra Capitals starting in October.

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“I am honoured and humbled for this opportunity to represent the Opals,” Whitcomb said.

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“Australia is my home and to now be a part of this amazing Opals team is beyond a dream.

“You work your whole life for these opportunities, so Sandy’s call was pretty emotional for me.

“The first thing I did was call my wife who was sleeping in Australia and share the news with her.

“Then it felt real. I can’t wait to put on that singlet and compete for Australia.”

Whitcomb and her Seattle Storm took a 2-0 lead in the WNBA finals series with a 75-73 win over the Washington Mystics in Seattle on Monday, with Whitcomb scoring seven points off the bench in seven minutes.

The Storm can claim the championship with a win over the Mystics in Washington DC on Thursday [AEST].

Brondello has long admired Whitcomb and saw her up close as she coached Phoenix Mercury in their semi-final loss to the Storm last week, where Whitcomb played some crucial minutes off the bench.

“I am very excited to be adding Sami to the Australian Opals team for the World Cup,” Brondello said.

“Sami is a dynamic scorer and will add another dimension to our team with her shooting ability and will to win.

“Her experience playing in the WNBA finals will also be a valuable asset during the World Cup.”

Most of the Opals side are in Europe preparing for the World Cup while WNBA playoff participants Liz Cambage, Stephanie Talbot, Whitcomb and Brondello will join them in the coming days or once their WNBA commitments are completed.

The FIBA Women’s World Cup begins in Tenerife, Spain on September 22 with the Opals facing Nigeria before group games against Argentina on September 23 and Turkey on September 25 followed by the knockout rounds.